Scott Bremner

Sometimes it’s hard to find the higher ground in a political campaign.

Heck, there are those who argue that there never is any true higher ground at all; that even when a candidate says “no negative campaigning” it’s really just a campaign ploy based on a poll driven belief that a voter backlash is coming.

So what are we to make of Senator John McCain’s announcement that he is “suspending” his campaign for now because as a senator he is duty bound to return to Washington to take up the debate on the “historic financial crisis” facing the nation?

He added that the move would also necessitate delaying Friday’s planned debate.

Is that the high ground or a calculated political move?

Both McCain and Obama agreed to put out a joint statement outlining where the campaigns have common ground in facing our monetary abyss.

That too contains the scent of higher turf.

But shortly after that agreement was made the two sides went in opposite directions about what to do next, McCain packing his bags for Washington but Senator Barack Obama vowing to stay out on the campaign trail.

“It’s my belief that this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who will be the next president,” Obama said. “If you need us I’ll be there.”

Now if you are a supporter of Senator Obama’s you could argue that that also speaks to high ideals, of soldiering on and not using the bail out for what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pooh-poohed as a “presidential campaign photo op.”

That caused the McCain campaign to promise to go ahead with Friday’s debate if a consensus was reached in time on the administration’s controversial $700 billion dollar bail out plan.

And with what I know of Washington that seems unlikely.

With combined polls showing McCain with a barely existent one point lead, what does seem likely is that the true higher ground will be even harder to discern in the weeks to come until November.

It might depend on from where in the valley you are looking.